Kenneth Bermudez, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 20 years of experience. He is committed to helping his San Francisco cosmetic and reconstructive surgery patients achieve — and often exceed — their cosmetic goals.

Lower Body Lift Surgery in San Francisco

A lower body lift performed at our offices can eliminate excess skin and fat from the lower part of the body. By performing this state-of-the-art procedure, Dr. Kenneth Bermudez can remove loose, fatty skin that has been unresponsive to diet and exercise, thus recontouring the entire midsection and outer thighs.

Lower Body Lift

A lower body lift (or belt lipectomy) is designed to help men and women who are in relatively good shape but can't eliminate flabby skin in the lower half of the body no matter how hard they try. The surgery addresses fat deposits and excess skin in areas such as the:

Midsection

Lower abdomen

Flanks (love handles)

Buttocks

Outer thighs

A lower body lift is often particularly beneficial to women whose abdominal muscles and skin have been stretched by multiple pregnancies, as well as patients who have lost a great deal of weight.

Lower Body Lift Procedure

The lower body lift procedure begins with an incision made around the belt line of the waist. The incision continues across the lower abdomen and down the inner thighs. Dr. Kenneth Bermudez removes excess fat and skin, tightens the remaining skin in these areas, and closes the incisions. A lower body lift is performed at a certified hospital with the patient under general anesthesia. Since this is a more invasive procedure than procedures such as abdominoplasty or liposuction, San Francisco lower body lift patients should expect to stay in the hospital at least overnight.

Lower Body Lift Recovery

Patients should be aware that lower body lift surgery will produce visible and permanent scars around the lower abdomen, flanks, and back. However, Dr. Kenneth Bermudez will work to make the scars as light as possible. Abdominal swelling and some discomfort can be expected within the first few days after surgery. Any residual pain can be alleviated with medication. Depending on the patient, normal daily routines can usually be resumed after two to four weeks of rest and healing.

Risks

Although thousands of lower body lifts are successfully performed every year, there is always some degree of risk in any plastic surgery procedure. Some of these risks include:

Reaction to anesthesia

Excessive bleeding

Infection

Asymmetry of scars (which can be corrected with revision surgery)

Numbness of the abdominal skin lasting for several months

Blood clots

Fluid collection beneath the skin

Dr. Kenneth Bermudez will go over the risks of the procedure in detail during your initial consultation. By following the pre-operative instructions closely, patients can reduce the potential for complications.

Benefits

A lower body lift performed by our San Francisco plastic surgeon is a comprehensive body contouring procedure that can do wonders for creating a tight, fit-looking midsection. Particularly beneficial to patients who have recently lost a significant amount of weight and to patients who have had their abdominal skin stretched by multiple pregnancies, a lower body lift tightens the skin and eliminates excess fat in the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and flanks. This procedure contours and sculpts the lower half of the body, eliminating excess skin folds and fatty areas that have been resistant to diet and exercise.

Contact Our Lower Body Lift Surgeon

An arm lift, thigh lift, lower body lift or post-bariatric body contouring treatment performed by our cosmetic surgeon can provide exceptional results for patients looking to eliminate stubborn fat deposits in specific areas of the body. Please contact Kenneth Bermudez, MD, for an appointment and to learn about the surgical options available to you.